Wild West - August 2009 - Table of Contents

Cover StoryBat Masterson, Paladin of the Plains By Roger Jay
The famous lawman-gambler operated for many years in the "have gun, will travel" mode, going the extra mile to do his duty and help friends and family in need.

Stage Presence By David Sneed
An 1890s Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company touring coach sees new life as restorers faithfully reconstruct its damaged and missing parts.

The Search for Jessie EvansBy David S. Turk and Rick Parker
Two eager researchers seek the real name of the outlaw gang leader and what happened to him after he escaped from prison in May 1882 and seemingly vanished.

Westering WalkerBy Kate Ruland-Thorne
Mountain man Joseph R. Walker, who heeded the call of the frontier his entire life, was a sought-after guide who didn't just follow trails—he made them.

Here Be DragonsBy Will Bagley
Dragons marked the unknown on early maps, and 140 years ago John Wesley Powell sought to run the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon and slay the last "dragon" on Western maps.

Roundup
News about the 2009 Spur and Wrangler awards, Topps explorer cards, the dating of the horse and Western towns celebrating important anniversaries. Also Will Bagley's Top Ten Western explorers. Plus upcoming events.

InterviewBy Candy Moulton
John H. Monnett, author of Where a Hundred Soldiers Were Killed, discusses William Fetterman and his own fascination with the Cheyennes.

Westerners
By the 1880s, the "Wickedest City in America" was settling down and music had taken center stage, thanks to the Dodge City Cow-Boy Band.

Gunfighters and LawmenBy Larry Wood
Roy Daugherty (aka "Arkansas Tom Jones") ran with the Dalton Gang, waged a one-man stand, went to prison, made a movie and robbed again.

Pioneers and SettlersBy Chris Penn
Young Andy Hall joined John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition through the Grand Canyon and then became a trusted Wells Fargo messenger—till tragedy struck.

Indian LifeBy Leo W. Banks
Former Chiricahua Apache war leader Cochise made a half-dozen social calls to Fort Bowie.

Western EnterpriseBy Pam Potter
At a box house, patrons could drink, gamble, watch a stage show of sorts and catch one of the "box rustlers" for some private entertainment.

Ghost TownsBy Les Kruger
The biggest claim to fame for Tinton, S.D., is that one of its residents, a Welshman known as Potato Creek Johnny, panned what was likely the biggest gold nugget ever found in the Black Hills.

Art of the WestBy Johnny D. Boggs
Bill Chappell spent time in the saddle as a Texas cowboy, a background recalled in his oil-on-canvas collage All in a Day's Work.

CollectionsBy Dave Lauterborn
The Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City, Mo., recalls life on the Missouri with restored cargo from a stricken 1850s paddle-wheeler.

Guns of the West
By Lee A. Silva
Gunsmith Daniel Moore's popular seven-shooter triggered a lawsuit from Smith & Wesson.

Reviews
Must-read books and must-see movies about Western explorers. Plus many recent reviews.

Sold
In 1904 Buffalo Bill gave this .22-caliber Winchester to a lucky Lincoln, Neb., teenager.

On the cover: Bat Masterson (1853–1921), looking dapper in his signature derby hat, was among the most respected lawmen on the frontier and a man family and friends could count on for help. (Kansas State Historical Society; colorized by Slingshot Studio, Atlanta, Ga.)

ONLINE EXTRAS

Discussion: When discussing trans-Mississippi West exploration, everyone starts with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. But historian Will Bagley has the two captains sharing the No. 2 ranking among U.S. Western explorers. In Bagley's book, Jedediah Smith is No. 1. Do you agree? Also in contention are a frontier full of other adventurous fellows, including Zebulon Pike, Joe Walker, Wilson Price Hunt, Robert Stuart, Peter Ogden, Stephen Long, Jim Bridger and John Wesley Powell.

Bat in the Big Apple:Western legend Bat Masterson spent his last years as a boxing authority and columnist in—gasp—New York City.

Glass in the Wilderness:Mauled by a she-grizzly and considered beyond hope, mountain man Hugh Glass began a long crawl for survival and into American legend)

Also be sure to visit www.greathistory.com, where you can read and write about history, even if you don't know a 'blog' from a buffalo chip

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